Analyzing device for statistical machines



June 2, 1942. M. MAUL 2,285,296

- ANALYZING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 21, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

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June 2, 1942. M. MAUL ANALYZING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 21, 1939 5 sheets sheet 3 2 INVENTOR (BY A TT RNEY Y June 2, 1942.

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M. MAU L 5 ANALYZING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed July 21, 1939 I TEE- 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented June 2, 1942 FF HIE ANALYZING DEVICE FDR STATISTICAL MA {I Michael Maul, Berlin=liohannistliaL Germany, a signor to Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Gesellschait in.

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b. IL, Berlin-Lichterfelde, G'er- Application July 21, 1939, Serial No. 285,734

' In Germany August 3, 1938 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an analyzing device for machines wherein controlling operations, mainly sorting operations, calculating and printing operations are supervised by record cards or record strips in accordance with the characters provided thereon. A particular type of record card machines are the perforated record card controlled machines, control'of which is caused by perforated record cards and this type of record card machines is now in general use. However, it has also already been suggested to provide the characters upon the record cards not by perforations but to represent the same simply by directly readable graphical characters and to cause through these graphical characters the control of record card machines. According to one of these suggestions the graphical characters, for instance the ten numerical characters, have such a configuration that upon the basis of a four-point index system, selected in a predetermined manner, distinct combinations of dark and light index points are obtained for the characters (see U. S. Patent 2,000,403). Each index point combination may be, read by light responsive means so that in each reading operation the re-' sult of the readingof four index points may be translated by a. translator into a unitary controlling effect corresponding to the meaning of the analyzed character. The known suggestion is based upon an index point system of four analyzing points which are chosen in any convenient manner and are set off relatively to each other; accordingly, in the known suggestion also four light-cells are provided for the analysis of a character which analyze'simultaneously all four index points and which control atranslator.

Now, according to the present invention, for the analysis of a character only a single lightcell is required by feeding the character or the card respectively in motion past a source of light rays controlling the light-cell and being directed by a ray directing device upon the analyzing spot, wherein, however, the light rays are sidewardly moving on the analyzing spot during the passage of the card in accordance with the sideward set off of the index points with regard to the direction of movement; for instance by moving the ray directing device, and each time when an index point is in the path of the light rays, the

analyzing light-cell may become active to release a controlling impulse through an impulse emitter device moving synchronously in accordance with the passage of the card past the path or source of light rays. In a preferred practical embodiment the ray directing device is mounted upon a bar and is reciprocated by a cam. It will be readily seen that'the invention may be applied to record card machines of various types. The following specification relates therefore only to an example of the application of the invention provision of means for positioning the analyzing means during advancement of the card thereby so that all the index mark'positions of the said system are analyzed.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of analyzing means for effecting the de-' scribed analyzation of the characters comprising a light source, light responsive means and means for directing the rays of light from the source upon the light responsive means for conditioning the latter.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of means for selectively analyzing graphical characters of the type described disposed on predetermined lines of the record sheet for controlling translating means in accordance tvith those characters disposed on the selected mes.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in a greatly enlarged scale numer upon the passage of In Fig. 1 the index points are indicated with regard to the numerals and those index points being outside the configuration of the numerals are indicated by a black circle whereas those within the configuration of the numerals are indicated by a white circle. It will be seen that for each character a distinct combination of dark and light index points is obtained and due to this fact a differential controlling effect may be obtained by means of a photoelectrical analysis depending upon the meaning of the analyzed character. The index points may be usually provided in any desired arrangement, but must, of course, be always so chosen that for each character a distinct combination is obtained.

In the example of Fig.

1 both middle index points are arranged upon a vertical line and both outer index points are in the same distance from this vertical line. Since this is advisable provision has further been made that the horizontal lines which must be imagined through all four index points are the same distance from each other.

In the record card ill of Fig. 2 four numeral lines a, b, c, 'and d are indicated and the numerals have a configuration as shown in Fig. 1. If therefore the card is so passing the analyzing device as indicated by the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, the .lines, 11, c, b, a will pass by, one by one, the sensing position. In a sorting machine provision must then be made that only one of the four lines; will be effective to control the machine, and this is obtained by a line selector still to be described. The selection of a column in the selected line takes place through the known sideward column by column adjustment of the analyzing device. However, in order to permit analysis of the four index points of a character one by one by means of a single light-cell, the light rays controlling the said cell are also sidewardly moved during the passage of the character so that said rays are first directed upon the lowermost index point (see Figs. 1 and 3) and will then move a little to the side or to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, upon the further advance of the character and will dwell in this position both middle index points; then the light rays and light-cell will be moved still a little more to the right so that it may analyze the uppermost index point and then the light rays and light-cell must again be restored to its starting position.

The analyzing device arranged in the analyzing head of the machine is shown in top view in Fig. 3 and in section in Fig. 4. The whole arrangement is seated on a carrier l5 running upon bars 24 by means of rollers 25. The carrier may be adjusted across the machine through rotation by crank 2i by means of the worm shaft 22 so that the analyzing device seated on the carrier may be adjusted in a known manner upon the so as to be axially movable. The worm shaft 22 a storing device.

desired column. In the carrier IS the light source 28 and the light-cell 21 are arranged. From the light source 26 the light rays Pass through a ray directing device to the light cell 21. The ray directing device contains a system 28 of lenses in the focus of which the card is analyzed by the rays and from the analyzing spot the rays are directed through a system 29 of lenses to the light cell 21. The card is fed through the feed rollers 23 (which are operated by. any suitable means) in the direction indicated in Fig. 4 by an arrow past the focused light rays. Current suDpLv to the light source 26 is provided through the resiliently mounted contact pieces 30a and 20b sliding upon contact bars 3ia and 3"). The

when these index points pass successively the sensing position. In order to obtain this sideward movement of the sensing means the worm shaft 22 upon which the carrier I5 is seated is mounted is rotatably mountedin the side walls 20 and 30 of the machine and has on its one end fastened thereto a flange 48. Between the flange 48 and the wall 30 of the housing there is a sleeve 36 axially movable upon the journal sleeve which sleeve 36 is held by a pressure spring 35 against thefiange 48. Therefore the outer end 31 of the worm shaft 22 is constantly pressed against the cam 38 under-the influence of spring 35. The cam 38 has fourraised portions 40 (namely 40d, 400, lb, and'flia) which engage in this sequence one by one the end of shaft'22 synchronously with the passage of the four lines d, c, b, a of the card past the sensing position, or stated in other words past the light rays directed to the record card. The raised portions of the cam are so arranged that upon the passage of the lower index point past the light rays the worm shaft 22 is still in the position shown in Fig. 3: however, upon engagement of the first of the raised portions 40 with the worm shaft 22 the latter and therewith also the light sensing means are set off a little to the right (Fig. 3) so that now both middle index points are in the path of the light rays when they are advanced past the sensing position. By means of the second of the raised portions 40 a further movement of the worm shaft 22 to the right is caused so that the uppermost index point will be advanced past the light rays.- Of course, the movements of shaft 22 are very small. Provision has further been made, as will still be described, that at the time there is an index point in the path of the light rays the light responsive means or light cell will be activated.

The operation of the device will best be understood in connection with the explanation of the-circuit diagram in Fig. 5. Asorting machine of that type has been assumed wherein in one operating cycle analysis takes place and wherein the result of the analysis is entered into Between two subsequent operating cycles the analyzed result is transferred from the first storing device to a second storing device and the latter controls in the following operating cycle the sorting blades. After control of the sorting. blades has been effected, the second storing device is emptied so that it may be controlled by the first storing device between subsequentoperating cycles, and immediately after the transferring operation the first storing device is emptied so that it is free for the control by the following card. This manner of operation and a sorting machine of this type are for instance known from U. S. Patent 2,025,- 602 to which operation therefore only brief reference 'is made-herein.

Wiring of the device in Fig. 5 issoprovided I latlon of the analyzed combinations are energized upon analysis of a black index point, but remain unenergized otherwise. The light source 26 is inserted by means of the contact bars 3| a, 3th between the current supply lines 55 and 60. Between these lines there is also a variable resistance 53 which is connected to the contact bars 290 and 29b which bars are connected to the light cell 21. To a point of the resistance 53 the light cell 21 is connected which controls together with the grid resistance 62 the grid voltage of the amplifier tube The anode of the amplifier tube is connected to the resistance 53 through the relay 52. The armature 51 of the relay 52 is adapted to interrupt the connection between the lines '56 and 58 and is normally attracted by the relay 52. minates in the line selector 44 which may be adjusted to any one of the lines 59a, 59b. 590 or 59d corresponding to the four lines a, b, c, d of the record card, depending upon the line within which a character shall be assorted. The before mentioned. lines lead to an impulse emitter generally indicated at 42 and provided with the contact arrangement 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d as shown in Fig. 5. The shaft 4| upon which the cam 38 for the sideward movement of the ray directing device is seated drives an analyzing arm 43 (by means of the bevel gearing shown) which connects one by one the contact pieces I, 2, 3, 4 with the adjacent contact bar of each of the contact arrangements 45d, 45c, 45b and 45a. Provision has been made in such way that the contact arm 43 mow es exactly synchronously with the passage of the index points of a character past the seming position so that if the four index points (I, 2, 3, 4--counted from the lowermost to the uppermost-Fi 1) pass, one by one the said sensing position the contact arm 43 establishes each time a connection between the respective contact piece and the contact bar. It will be seen that a current leading connection may only be established over that line 59 to which the switch 44 is adjusted and further,

as will still be shown, a current leading connection will only be established if a black index point is analyzed. From the impulse emitter the lines lead in the manner shown in the drawings to the translator magnets 48 which in turn are connected by a common line 6| to the main line r 55. Upon energization th translator magnets will attract their armatures in distinct combinations which are then held locked by latches. Due to the cam controlled movement of the bar 48 to the left and engagement of the bell crank levers 41, the adjustment of this first storing device will be transferred'between two subsequent operating cycles to the translator diagrammatically shown which acts as second storing device; and this adjustment will then be maintained there during the subsequent operating cycle. Restoring of the second storing device, 1. e., of the translator, is caused by the cam controlled movement of the bar 49 to the right and in the same The line 58 terthe .co-ordinated translator magnet 46. Wiring of the light responsive means is provided in such manner that normally, 1. e., if no black index point is passing the sensing position, the connection between the lines 56 and 58 is interrupted since then the light cell 21 and accordingly also the relay 52 is energized. If any index point is analyzed, at first there will always be a corresponding connection of the co-ordinated translator magnet 46 in the circuit by means of the contact arm 43 but this circuit cannot become energized due to the interruption atthe armature 51. Only at the moment during which a black index point arrives in the path of the light rays the current flow in the light-cellcircuit will be reduced and the relay 52 will release its armature 51 so that a connection between 56 and 58 will be established. At this moment a current will iiow from line 55 over line 6|, the co-ordie vice 45 selected by switch 44, corresponding line 5%, switch 44, line 58, armature 51, and line 56 1 to the main line 60. After the passage of the column of the selected, line the translator magnet 46 will therefore have been energized in the combination determined by the black index points and in the subsequent operating cycle sorting of the card can be effected in accordance with the meaning of the analyzed character, as has already been indicated. Assume that one of the control circuits 50 has been selected by the translator magnets and caused to be energized by the storing device it is seen that the controlling impulse is directed to the sorter control magnet by means of the controlling distributor 81 which is operated in synchronism with the passage of the characters past the sensing position. Upon energization of the sorter control magnet 85 the proper sorter blade is selected so that the analyzed card is then directed to the proper card pocket.

The selected control circuits can also be effective to control the usual tabulatingand printing mechanisms. The control elements of the latter mechanisms are shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9 of the U. S. Patent 2,000,403.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A record controlled machine of the class described comprising an analyzing station, means for advancing, along a predetermined path, a record sheet having graphical characters disposed thereon past the analyzing station, said characters being formed so that the configurations embrace one or more index marks arranged in accordance with a predetermined index mark system, in which system the index marks are positioned on different vertical lines common to the characters, means for analyzing the characters advanced past the analyzing station in order to detect the presence of the index marks embraced by the analyzed characters at the predetermined index mark positions, said analyzing means comprising a light source, light responsive means and means for directing the rays of light from the said source to the record sheet and thence to the light responsive means for conditioning the latter, means operated in synchronism with the record sheet advancing means for positioning the analyzing means, at predetermined times, from one index mark position of the characters to another during the advancement of the record sheet past the analyzing station, said analyzing means being positioned transversely to the said path travelled by the record sheet, and means under control of the light responsive means and responsive thereto upon detection of the index marks embraced by the analyzed characters at the predetermined index mark positions.

MICHAEL MAUL. 

